In early April 2010 while visiting friends in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I had a few days spare to photograph the various types of mass transport around Kuala Lumpur. This was my 1st visit to Kuala Lumpur in 6 years and some things had changed greatly in the city some for the better and some for the worse.

This topic is the third in a series of topics on the Mass Transport System of Kuala Lumpur. Each topic will detail the different transport modes and systems in Kuala Lumpur (KL) with plenty of photos and videos to show each mode in action. The third topic is dedicated to the Metrobus and other non Rapid KL bus services in Kuala Lumpur.

A background on Metrobus services.

Metrobus was formed in 1992 and is the 2nd largest bus company in Kuala Lumpur. Metrobus operates 36 separate routes covering most of Kuala Lumper and parts of the Klang Valley. The buses that Metrobus operate are a mixture of UD, Hino and Mercedes Benz. Most of these buses were re-bodied around 2004 to improve passenger comfort. However the original chassis and engines are still in use today.

Metrobus services operate separately to the rest of the Rapid KL bus system. Using a fare system consisting of 4 zones that are based on the distance travelled from city centre. The bus fares start from RM 1.00 per trip with a maximum single fare of RM 3.00. The fares are collected on board the buses by a conductor and the fare paid is for that bus only. The bus driver and conductor receive part of the total fare collected as a commission therefore encouraging drivers to complete more trips per day and to cram as many people on the buses as they can.

A background on other non Rapid KL bus services.

Other than Metrobus and Rapid KL there are a handful of older legacy bus companies some of them dating back to early 1960s. These companies are: Len Seng, Megacoach, Selangor Omnibus, SJ Bus, Transnasional, Sri Indah/RM Transport and Triton. These companies operate in a very similar way to Metrobus and are effected by similar issues. Most of the buses used by these companies are old non aircon Hinos or old airconditioned UD buses. With the exception of Selangor Omnibus all of the companies operate under the same fare structure as Metrobus. Selangor Omnibus fares range from RM 0.70 to RM 2.00 over 4 distance based zones.

Problems and issues with Metrobus and other non Rapid KL bus services.

Metrobus and the other old bus companies in KL do not operate to a set timetable or fixed headway. Instead they often wait around at the terminus or a major intermediate stop for passengers to board and when a large enough number has boarded they will slowly depart for their destination. This creates a very unreliable service for passengers with waits of over an hour between buses at times. It also leads to chronic overcrowding for passengers.

Other issues with these legacy bus services is the extremely aggressive and sometimes dangerous driving that regularly occurs and has lead to accidents in the past. Also the problem of drivers and conductors smoking on airconditioned buses while in motion needs to be addressed as the bus companies own rules don?t allow passengers to smoke on buses so why should the staff be allowed to do it. In addition to these issues the problem of poor maintenance of the buses is common that can lead to regular breakdowns resulting in longer gaps between buses and overcrowding on following bus services.

In the future these bus services need to operate at a fixed headway that is significantly more frequent than today. The fare system on Metrobus and the other legacy buses sorely needs to be integrated into Rapid KL. Also paying the drivers and conductors a fixed monthly income rather than on a per trip commission basis will help improve passenger safety. Overall these services do not properly meet the needs of KL residents and require a major upgrade to bring them up to modern standards of service and high operating frequency.

Now onto the photographs:

4. This is a shot of a Metrobus Route 16: Taman Melawati - Pasar Seni bus. Taken as it travels away from KL along Jalan Raja Laut. Bus type unknown.

6. This is an image of a Len Seng Route W12: Seksyen 10 Wangsa Maju - Jalan Gereja bus. Taken as it travelled outbound along Jalan Raja Laut. This is one of only a few bus companies in KL that still operate non aircon buses. Bus type unknown.

17. This is a shot of a Len Seng Route W12 bus. Taken as it rolls through the bus terminal next to SOGO department store. This route also operates non aircon buses. Bus type unknown.

22. This is an image of a SJbus Route 71: Selayang Baru ? Kota Raya bus. Taken as it passes through the bus terminal outside SOGO department store. Bus type unknown.

42. This is a shot of a pair of KTM station shuttle mini buses. Taken as they wait for passengers at the bus terminus outside Subang Jaya KTMB station. Bus type Mercedes Benz.

45. This is an image of a KTM station shuttle bus on a trip to USJ. Taken at the bus stop on Jalan Kemajuan Subang outside Carrefour. Bus type Mercedes Benz.

46. This is a video of a ride on a KTMB station shuttle mini bus from Subang Jaya KTMB commuter station. This bus is a very old Mercedes minibus that does not have airconditioning or power closing doors meaning the bus doors are never closed while in motion.

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